The Most Powerful Magic in Existence
by CharmHazel
Summary: Distraught over the loss of his godfather, Harry turns to Ginny for comfort and in turn, she helps him to understand the power that the Dark Lord knows not.


**UPDATED: 16/02/2017 - Edited and mistakes fixed. Thank you to Arnel for pointing out some errors I had made.**

 **A/N: Inspired by the many of the teen pregnancy stories I have read on this site, along with a Headcanon I saw on Pinterest. This is an AU story, but, please note, that while Harry and Ginny's relationship strays from the canon, the rest of the story fits in with the canon.**

 **The story begins at the end of the Order of the Phoenix and ends just a few months after the final battle in Deathly Hallows. During the original writing of this story, the UK version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows were used to help me create this story.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned Harry Potter.**

* * *

He felt like he was lost, like he did not know where to turn next.

He felt like he was completely alone and isolated, because he knew no one else could possibly understand what he was feeling right at that moment.

He could feel a deep ache right down to the deepest recesses of his heart. He knew he had not felt like this when Cedric had been murdered right in front of eyes and he had been unable to do anything to stop it from happening. He was certain he had not even felt like this when he had finally learnt the truth of his parents' deaths, despite the constant longing he felt for them that he knew would never truly disappear.

He felt like the loss of his godfather was literally tearing him apart and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it. Adding in the stress of learning that he was, in fact, the one who was destined to finally defeat Voldemort once and for all, had made him a complete mess. It made him feel like he was on the verge of breaking down and giving up.

The person he had lost was the person he would have turned to for advice in this situation. He certainly couldn't write to Remus when he was grieving for the loss of his best friend. He didn't feel like Hermione and Ron were an option as they were both still in the hospital wing recovering from the injuries they had sustained in the fight at the Ministry. Not that he planned to speak to them as their way of dealing with a situation like this would, currently, only push him further away from them.

What he wanted, what he needed, was comfort and someone who would not force him to talk, but, instead, would allow him to confide in them when he was good and ready. He just didn't know who that person was.

"Harry?"

The voice caused him to turn from where he had been staring out over the grounds of Hogwarts. The view from the Astronomy Tower was stunning and the tower was one of the best places to get away from the hustle and bustle of the castle.

In front of him, standing in the doorway to the tower, was the last person he expected to come looking for him, and yet, was the one person who made the most sense to do so. She had helped and supported him all year. She had never pushed him and she had always listened to him. She was just who he needed.

"Ginny."

 **HP &GW**

The Hogwarts Express came to a stop in Kings Cross Station, causing Harry to slump down in his seat, reluctant to leave the relative safety of the train. Yet, he was resigned to the fact that he would, indeed, need to return to his relatives' house for at least a few weeks.

He didn't want to return to the place where he was not wanted, especially, now he did not have the excuse of his godfather being a wanted mass murdered to hold over their heads. How would they treat him once they found out that Sirius had died? He could only hope, therefore, that he would be out of there and back at The Burrow quicker than normal. He was certainly not looking forward to the lonely days and the constant nightmares that he knew awaited him at Privet Drive.

Harry was startled out of his thoughts when he felt a small hand gently touched his shoulder. He looked up to discover his friends were no longer in the compartment, except for Ginny, who was looking at him with concern for his well-being.

"Mum is working on getting you away from your relatives' house and back to The Burrow as soon as possible," Ginny told him as he finally stood up. "Until then, just promise me you will write to me if you need to talk about anything, anything at all."

Harry just looked at the girl who had been a constant presence in his life ever since she had found him wallowing in self-pity at the top of the Astronomy Tower.

"I promise," Harry finally responded quietly.

"I don't care, either, if it is in the middle of the night," she firmly said. "I don't care if you think it is silly or insignificant. You just write to me, okay?"

Harry smiled sadly as he nodded his agreement to her request.

"Thank you," he whispered before he surprised her by taking her into his arms and hugging her tightly to his body.

They held onto one another for a few minutes as Ginny allowed Harry to take all the comfort he needed in that moment, taking all the consolation she knew he would be denied in the coming weeks while at his relatives. Neither wanted to let go of the other, though, both enjoying being in the other's arms, but eventually they parted, knowing that there were people waiting for them to disembark the train.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny watched as Harry discretely left through the back door and headed out into the garden of The Burrow. Realising no one else had spotted him doing so, she carefully stood from her seat and followed him outside.

She found the dark-haired wizard in the middle of the garden, his hands shoved into his pockets as he stared up at the darkening sky. She quietly approached him from behind, not wanting to scare him with her sudden presence.

"You know, I've always thought the Black family was completely nuts for choosing to name their children after stars and constellations," Harry suddenly said. "But now… perhaps, they had the right idea. I mean, you can look for them in the night sky when the stars come out, after that person has died."

Ginny reached Harry's side and was shocked to see a couple of tears running down his face as he spoke. Up until now, even when they had talked about his godfather in happier times or even when he had chosen to confirm a prophecy had been made himself and Voldemort, she had never once seen him cry or become emotional in the way he was now.

"I miss Sirius, so much," Harry said through a strangled sob as he collapsed to his knees, suddenly, in tears.

Ginny quickly dropped down onto her knees and wrapped the weeping boy in her arms. Harry's arms came up around her, allowing him to hold onto her tightly as he sobbed into her shoulder. She held onto him just as tightly, rubbing one hand up and down his back in a soothing gesture as she whispered words of comfort into his ear.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she tentatively asked Harry when she felt his body stop shaking.

Harry said nothing and, for a moment, Ginny thought she had pushed him too much by just simple asking him to talk to her. Surprisingly, he moved out of her arms and sat up properly, facing her. She couldn't help but feel worried for him when she saw the heartbroken look on his face that accompanied his red, puffy eyes.

"It's the same things as before," he finally confessed.

Ginny reached out and took one of his hands in hers. The simple gesture startled Harry before he looked at her, directly in the eyes, and she knew from the haunted look in his eyes that she would need to be firm but compassionate with him.

"It's not your fault, Harry, that Sirius died," she softly told him. "The blame lies with Bellatrix, Tom and Dumbledore. Bellatrix was the one that threw the curse that pushed Sirius through the veil, Tom was the one planted that vision in your head and it was Dumbledore who should have told you the truth from the beginning."

Logically, Harry knew that Ginny was right and telling him the truth, but, right now, he found it too hard to accept.

"As for the pain," Ginny pushed on as she saw him understanding what she had said, "it will take time for it to ease. You just need to take it one day a time; however, you need to remember that Sirius gave his life that night, knowing you were safe because of his actions. He would have done anything for you and that sadly includes giving his life for you."

"I could have prevented from being there, though," Harry protested, pulling his hand away from Ginny. Standing up, he began pacing back and forth, knowing he needed to get out everything he was feeling. Ginny recognising his need, sat back and waited for him to begin talking.

"I should have known the vision was not real, I mean, how could Voldemort have captured Sirius when he was safely hidden away at Grimmauld Place. Even then, I had a way to contact him, but, I never even opened the parcel it was in, so, I completely forgot about it right when I needed it the most. He gave it to me to contact him if I needed him, yet, I didn't want to be the one who made him leave the house. And to top it off, because of my bloody need to save everyone, he followed us and ended up dead all because of a bloody prophecy Dumbledore already knew! A prophecy that states the duty of defeating Voldemort is to fall on my shoulders, not Dumbledore, but, ME!"

Harry stopped ranting and he stopped pacing. Turning to look back at Ginny, she couldn't help, but gasp when she saw the pain in his eyes.

"Why me?" he whispered heartbrokenly. "Why does it have to fall to me, Ginny? Why does everyone I love have to die?"

Ginny jumped up and took the boy, who had fast become her best friend, into her arms and held him close as he broke down in tears once more.

"I wish I knew, Harry," she whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek. "I really wish I knew why."

 **HP &GW**

Harry stood on the edge of The Burrow's makeshift Quidditch pitch, watching as the youngest Weasley flew his beloved Firebolt. His eyes were glued to Ginny as she dived, swopped and rolled gracefully through the air on his broom. He was certain that if she tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team again this coming term, that she would be a shoo-in for one of the available Chaser positions.

As he continued to watch her, Harry thought back over the last couple of months and how, in that time, Ginny had cemented her place in life and had become his best friend. She had been the person he needed to help him work through his grief and she had filled that role admirably since the night she had found him in the Astronomy Tower. She had never pushed him to talk, but had always been there, willing to listened when he did want to confide in her. She, in all honesty, understood better than anyone else in his life. She was, also, funny, compassionate and in Harry's eyes, unbelievably beautiful. He knew he was beginning to fall for her, but, how could he not when he knew she was one of the few people who truly cared for him as just Harry and not as the Boy Who Lived.

"That was brilliant," Ginny exclaimed when she landed just in front of Harry. "I wish we could afford to buy this broom. It moves with such ease, so much better than my or any of the brooms we own do."

"I honestly don't think it would matter what broom you used, you are still a force to be reckoned with when you fly," Harry admitted. "I can't see why you wouldn't make the Quidditch team when we return to school, if you choose to try out."

"Well, it does help I know the captain quite well," Ginny cheekily replied.

The pair headed back towards the house, taking a seat just outside, rather than going back inside. They sat quietly together, both losing themselves in thoughts about each other.

Ginny contemplated telling Harry she still had feelings for him, but instead, decided not to do so as she did not want to scare him off if he did not return them. She also did not want to lose the close friendship that had developed between them.

Harry, on the other hand, decided that he did want to be honest with her about how he felt for her, fearful he would not get the chance to do so once they returned to school. He knew his roommate, Dean Thomas, had expressed an interest in Ginny towards the end of the summer term and the only reason he had not made a move was because Harry had monopolized most of Ginny's time for the last couple of weeks of the term.

"Thank you," Harry quietly said to Ginny, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful that had settled over them.

"What for?" Ginny asked as she unexpectedly rested her against Harry's shoulder.

"For being there for me when I needed someone, for listening to me," Harry confessed, "for not judging me when I… well, you know."

Ginny kept her head on his shoulder as she took in what he had told her, shocked that he would even think that she would ever judge him for his emotions at a time when he needed to vent. The very fact he had shown her his vulnerable side had told her that he trusted her and felt comfortable enough with her to do so.

"I would never judge you, Harry," Ginny eventually responded. "I think it should be me who is thanking you for trusting me to be the one you could open up to."

Harry mumbled something unintelligible.

"What did you say, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry took a deep breath to calm the nerves he felt building before he spoke again. "I said, it's because I feel comfortable talking to you. You make it easy for me to confide in you and you seem to understand me better than anyone. I really like that, I really like you."

Harry turned his head away in embarrassment at admitting his feelings as he felt his cheeks begin to heat up. He was a little shocked when he, then, felt a small hand grasp his chin and gently turn his head until he could see into the warm and compassionate brown eyes of Ginny.

"I really like you, too, Harry," she whispered.

Harry tentatively leaned in and brushed his lips gently against Ginny's. He had barely pulled away from her before she had pulled him by the shirt and kissed him properly.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Harry asked immediately when they broke the kiss.

"Yes," Ginny simply replied before kissing him once again.

 **HP &GW**

Harry couldn't help but smile widely as he walked back to the common following Quidditch practice. Even with what had happened to Katie, his suspicions of Draco and his lessons with Dumbledore about Voldemort's past, he truly felt the happiest he had even been in his life. His happiness, he knew, was all thanks to Ginny.

As they had begun their relationship just a couple of days before their return to school, none of the Weasleys had been made aware of it before they boarded the train. It wasn't until Ron accidentally walked into their compartment after the prefect meeting and found Harry and Ginny snogging that the news came out. Amazingly, he had not blown up about it like they had expected him to. Instead, his face had grown red for about a minute before he shrugged his shoulders, sat down and muttered, "I don't want to see that."

Today, Ginny had left quite quickly following practice so she could finish off an essay she had due in tomorrow, leaving Harry and Ron to clear up and put away the equipment. Ron, however, was moping about being a useless Keeper, despite Harry's encouraging words to him, so Harry had left his best friend to mope in the shower and headed back up to the castle to go and spend time with his girlfriend in the common room.

Entering the Gryffindor tower, Harry saw that Ginny was not alone at the table at which she was working. She had just been joined by Dean Thomas, who had taken a seat opposite her. Harry could feel the monster his chest roar in anger at this scene. Dean had made it clear on their return to school that he was interested in dating Ginny and the very fact she was now dating Harry had done nothing to deter him in his pursuit of her. Harry carefully walked towards the table, close enough to hear the pair's conversation, but, keeping enough of a distance to remain unseen by Dean, who currently had his back to the Gryffindor Seeker.

"So, Ginny, next Hogsmeade trip, you'll come with me?" his dorm mate asked his girlfriend.

To Harry's amusement, he could see his girlfriend looked ready to hex Dean into oblivion for having the cheek to ask her. He knew she had spotted him as he had walked over towards the table, but she knew he would leave her to handle the problem on her own.

"How many times, Dean, do I need to tell you?" she retaliated. "I am in a relationship with Harry. I am happy with him. I am not interested in anyone but Harry."

"We could still go together, you know," Dean said in response, ignoring her clear statement to him. "What Harry doesn't know, won't kill him."

Harry nearly growled at the response. Ginny had informed him that Dean had repeatedly asked her out whenever Harry was not with her, but it seemed Dean was just not getting the message that Ginny was not interested.

"Just why would I want to do that?" Ginny said, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she discretely and carefully wrapped her hand around her wand.

"I think you know why. We never had the chance to see if there could something between us," Dean calmly stated. Harry could tell his roommate thought Ginny would agree with the statement. However, he could also tell that Dean had missed the warning signs of an irate red-head. "Harry monopolized all your time at the end of last term, just as we were getting know each other. Then, he moves in on you, unfairly."

Harry shook his head in shame. This idiot was truly on the verge of being hexed if he didn't quit now.

"I am not a piece of meat, I am no one's property," Ginny said with her voice dangerously low and threatening. "We were never together in any capacity, nor will we ever be. Now, I suggest you leave before I or Harry hex you."

Dean's head whipped round quickly and his eyes popped out when he saw Harry standing there, highly amused at his girlfriend's threat and his roommate's reaction.

"I would highly suggest you do what Ginny says," Harry warned with a nod of his head towards his girlfriend. "She is absolutely wicked with that wand of hers."

Dean scarpered quickly, running up to the dorms, leaving behind a laughing Harry and Ginny.

"Hey, Beautiful," Harry said as he finally approached his girlfriend and leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Thank you for not interfering," Ginny sincerely said.

Harry have her a questioning look. "Why would I do that? You are more than capable of handling yourself and I wasn't joking when I said you were wicked with a wand. I honestly do not want to be on the receiving end of it, ever!"

"Nice answer, Potter," she replied seductively, pulling him in for heated kiss, not caring who was watching them.

 **HP &GW**

Harry was surprised when, after dinner on Christmas Day, Ginny led him upstairs and into her bedroom, closing the door behind them. While the family, especially her parents, had been accepting of and delighted with their relationship, he still felt they were pushing it being alone together behind closed doors at The Burrow.

"Stop worrying, Harry," Ginny said calmly, from where she had sat down on her bed. "I told Mum I was planning on doing this with you and she was fine with it."

Harry raised an eyebrow in suspicion as a response to her comment. He knew there must have been a compromise or something for Mrs Weasley to allow her only daughter to be alone in her bedroom with a boy, close family friend or not.

Ginny sighed in exasperation at Harry's knowing look. "Okay, I had to tell her we had not gone too far physically together and that we had no plans to do so anytime soon."

Harry relaxed immediately, knowing that Ginny had not lied to her mum just to get what she wanted. It was true that they had not taken their physical relationship very far yet. It currently consisted of snogging and a fair amount of hands roaming over each other's clothes. However, they both knew that things would progress sooner rather than later as it was becoming harder and harder of late to control themselves when they were alone together.

"Are you going to come and sit down next to me or not?" Ginny asked, concerned she had made him feel uncomfortable with the situation. "I wanted to give you your Christmas present in private."

Harry smiled at her before complying with her wishes to join her on the bed. He knew he should not have been surprised by her request as they had both agreed before the holidays to exchange their presents together while they were alone. Luckily, he had her present in his pocket, which he quickly pulled out while Ginny's back was turned as she took his present out of her wardrobe.

"Luckily, I thought ahead," Harry said cheekily as he handed her the present and took his in return.

Harry waited to open his present as he watched Ginny open her gift with a gasp. He had brought her a simple gold necklace which held one simple charm, a gold lightning bolt which had three small diamonds embedded in it.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny choked out in surprise. "This is… it's beautiful. Could you help me put it on, please?"

She handed him the necklace and turned her back to him, moving her long red hair to one side. Harry then carefully placed it around her neck and clasped the necklace into place, taking extra care to make sure no loose strands of her hair were caught as he did so. Once he was done, Ginny turned back to him and tenderly kissed him.

"Thank you," she whispered, still shocked that he had given her something so beautiful and so personal. "Are you planning on opening your gift?"

Harry opened his to discover Ginny had arranged for a photo of the two of them together, from when they had attended Professor Slughorn's Christmas party, to be sent to her from Colin. It had been framed in a simple, black frame.

"It's perfect," Harry told his girlfriend as he watched their photo selves share a chaste kiss. "I am going to put this next to my bed when we get back to school."

Harry placed the frame carefully on Ginny's bedside table before pulling her into what quickly became a passionate and heated kiss. They did not break it until they were forced to come up for air, by which time, the couple were laying on the bed, with their hair and clothes in disarray. To Harry, though, even with her swollen lips and mussed-up hair, Ginny was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Can I ask you a question, Harry?" Ginny tentatively said as she snuggled up to him and laying her head on his chest.

"You know you can, Gin," Harry replied as he began running a hand through her long locks.

"I know I have never asked this before, but what is Professor Dumbledore teaching you during your private lessons?" she nervously asked.

Harry stiffened at his girlfriend's question. He wasn't certain how to answer it when he had been instructed to only inform Hermione and Ron, despite the fact he and Ginny were already dating. He didn't want to lie or keep secrets from her, something he swore he would never do, but, he was torn between being honest with her and his promise to his headmaster.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Ginny said when he didn't respond after a minute of silence.

"I want to tell you, Gin, I really do want to," Harry desperately replied. "However, I have been sworn to secrecy by Dumbledore and he would only allow me to tell Hermione and Ron."

"Are the lessons to do with Voldemort?" she inquired.

"Yes."

"Promise me this, then," she continued, locking her eyes with her boyfriend's. "If, and when, you can tell others, promise me you will tell me."

"I promise I will, I swear," he confirmed, knowing she, of all people, deserved answers.

The young couple remained quiet within one another's arms as they chose to enjoy the peaceful solace they currently had in a house full of people. Both knew that they would be fully thrown into the war soon without the safety they currently had, but neither want, nor were ready to face the truth of how it had the potential to separate them for an indeterminate amount of time.

It was the eventual sound of footsteps climbing the stairs that caused them to reluctantly separate. Sharing one last kiss, Harry left Ginny and returned to the room he was sharing with Ron, his head swimming with thoughts of how he could convince Professor Dumbledore to let him tell the truth to his girlfriend about what he was learning.

 **HP &GW**

Harry slowly awoke the morning following the Quidditch match, in which he had sustained a cracked skull that had landed him in the hospital wing for the weekend. He had barely opened his eyes when he felt a soft pair of lips kiss him gently.

"You scared me, Harry," his girlfriend whispered as she carefully placed his glasses on his face.

"I didn't mean to, Gin," he quietly replied as his heart swelled with love at her concern for him. He eased himself up and had a look around the hospital wing and confirmed what he had suspected the night before. "What did you do to him?"

Ginny looked at him with an innocent expression on her face, though Harry could see the mischief lurking quite clearly in her eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Harry grabbed her hands and pulled her close, so, they were nose to nose. "He might not be in the hospital wing, I know he wasn't when I woke last night, but I find it hard to believe you did absolutely nothing to McLaggen. So, spill it!"

"My speciality," was all Ginny said in response, causing Harry to break out into a huge grin.

"That's my girl," he said as he leant in to kiss her in thanks. "I love you, Gin."

Ginny looked back at him in shock that he had said those special words to her. Even though, for Harry, it had been a slip of the tongue, he knew he had meant it. In all honesty, he had been building up the courage to tell her how he truly felt about her since just after Christmas. He couldn't help, but breathe a sigh of relief when his girlfriend relaxed into that blazing look he loved so much.

"I love you, too, Harry," she finally replied. "I must admit, though, this is not the place I had expected us to exchange those words for the first time."

Harry chuckled as he quickly glanced over at the still sleeping form of the other patient in the hospital wing. "Me neither. Just be gratefully that Ron is still asleep or he would certainly be complaining."

 **HP &GW**

Ginny watched in confusion as Harry sealed the curtains around his four-poster bed and threw up some privacy charms. While it was not the first time they had done this, Harry seemed very insistent on talking to her that evening and she was certain this would not be one of those times where they fooled around together.

"Harry? What's going on?" she asked worriedly. "You've pulled me up here with no explanation, have made sure we will not be interrupted and you seem nervous about something. What's wrong?"

Harry sighed, hating that he was about to break his promise to Professor Dumbledore. However, if anyone deserved to know about what he had just learnt, it was his girlfriend. She had been the one to spend nearly a year fighting against being possessed by Voldemort, therefore, in his eyes, she deserved to be to be told of the true nature of the diary. He dragged his hands nervously through his hair, wondering where he should begin.

"Is what you want to talk about something to do with what you are learning from Professor Dumbledore?" she asked inquisitively.

Harry gently smiled at her, relieved she had breached the subject for him. "Yes."

"I thought you couldn't tell me anything, though," Ginny asked in confusion. She realised, then, that her boyfriend was planning to break his promise. She knew therefore, it must be important to him for her to know if he was about to do that. "You're going to break your promise for me?"

"Yes, no, I don't know," he said unexpectedly as he realised he couldn't break his promise, but knowing he didn't need to tell her everything, just the significance of the diary. He had only resisted telling her anything before because of the promise he had made to the headmaster. If he wanted to explain to her about the diary, then he knew it needed to be the bare minimum if he was going to keep her safe. "What I need to tell you, it's dangerous to know. The fewer who know, the better. However, a small part of it affects you, it did affect you and I can't bear the thought of keeping this secret until it is all over."

"Just tell me what you feel you can," Ginny said compassionately. "You can tell me everything else when the war is finally over."

Harry pulled Ginny into his arms and held her tightly to him. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such an understanding girlfriend. He knew once he had told her what he could, she would be more understanding as to why it was important for the knowledge to go no further.

"It's about the diary," Harry began. "There was more to it than we originally thought. It was not just a memory that was possessing you, it was actually a…"

"It was a piece of Tom's soul," Ginny completed for him, much to Harry's shock and surprise.

"What? How? What?" Harry spluttered as he tried to figure out how she knew.

They had not truly spoken of her experiences with the diary or the chamber. They had glossed over the heavier topics of the war during their late-night talks, despite how close they had grown over the past year and the talks they had shared over the summer. They both knew it had the potential to either bring them closer or tear them apart, but now they could no longer ignore the topics they had avoided for so long.

Ginny shifted herself so she sat next to him, close enough for the comfort she knew she would need, but in a position where she could not see his eyes and any potential negative reaction he had. She was not sure why she was so afraid of being completely honest with him as it was not like she had never spoken to him about it. Even so, she knew if anyone would understand what she went through in her first year, it would be Harry.

"It wasn't hard to figure it out, Harry," she slowly began. "He was stealing my soul as I poured my heart and soul into the diary. I didn't realise it at the time, of course. It still took me some time to figure it out, especially, when no one wanted to talk to me about what had happened that year."

"You know you could have come and spoken to me," he said helplessly, feeling like he had let her down when she had needed him the most.

"I know," she said as she entwined their fingers together. "Don't think I don't appreciate the night you played Exploding Snap with me. I may not have spoken about it you then – I wasn't ready to so at the time – but you did provide me some comfort that night and that was enough for me at the time."

"Well, I am glad I was able to help in some way," he said before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Anyway, I started searching the library when we returned to school to see if I could find out what exactly happened to me, to understand it better," she continued. "I couldn't find anything, though, which was frustrating. It just didn't make sense to me that a simple memory could take control of me like that. I knew, therefore, that it had to be more than that. I mean, how could a memory leave me feeling so unclean and tainted? It felt more than a memory, I knew it had to be more than that and eventually, the only conclusion I could come to…"

"…was that it had to be a piece of his soul," Harry finished, understanding how she knew now.

Ginny finally looked up at Harry, amazed to see him looking so compassionately at her. The love he held for her was shining fiercely in his eyes and it was in that moment that she knew he was her future, the love of life and the only one she could ever be with.

"Don't tell me anything," she told him firmly. "If you understand what it is, don't tell me. Even more so, if it has anything to do with defeating him. I know I won't be able to help you until I am seventeen and the trace lifts, so the less I know, the better."

"Okay, I won't say anything more," Harry promised. "However, when this is all over, I promise I will tell you everything in detail."

"I know you will," Ginny responded with a smile. "Now we have begun speaking about it, can I tell you everything that happened during my first year in more detail? Could you also tell me about it from your perspective?"

Harry shifted further up the bed so he was leaning against the headboard and gestured to Ginny to sit between his legs. They sat together for the next couple of hours as they spoke about the events that had led to that awful day in the Chamber.

 **HP &GW**

The party in the common room was in full swing as the Gryffindors celebrated winning the Quidditch Cup for the third time in four years. Harry could not quite believe he had helped captain the team to victory, even though he had only played one full match. He was so unbelievably proud of the team he had put together, especially so of Ginny.

He quickly checked to see that all four of his dorm mates were suitably distracted and when he felt certain they were, he approached his girlfriend from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Come upstairs to my dorm with me," he whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver as she felt his warm breath tickle her ear and neck.

The young couple discreetly left the party and quickly fled to the sixth-year boys' dorm, sealing themselves inside Harry's four-poster bed as they normally did. Ginny saw the look in her boyfriend's eyes and hoped this would be the day they finally took their relationship to the next level.

"I am so proud of you," he whispered, despite the privacy charms surrounding the bed.

"I don't think that is the reason why you brought me up here, Mr Potter," she whispered seductively as she moved closer to him.

"You know me too well, Miss Weasley," he replied just before he captured her lips with his.

Slowly, items of clothing were pulled off and thrown aside, revealing more and more skin for them both to explore and caress. Mouths and hands wandered to anywhere they could touch as they both slowly explored the other's body. Eventually, they were both naked with Harry gently laying above Ginny with an expression so full of love that it caused Ginny's hear to flutter wildly in excitement.

"Make love to me, Harry," she gently pleaded with her boyfriend.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He needed her to be certain this was what she wanted. He needed to know she was ready for this, despite him knowing this day had been fast approaching for weeks. They had already done everything they could possibly do besides them making love, but he needed to know he was not forcing or rushing into something she was not ready for.

"I have never been more certain of anything in my life," she confirmed. "I even learned the Contraceptive Charm, just in case you hadn't."

Harry laughed. "I learned how to do it as well!"

He reached over for his wand and, once she had nodded her confirmation that this was she wanted, he cast the charm. Wanting to make their first time special for her, he took his time exploring and worshipping every part of her beautiful body. He knew he was torturing her by taking his time, but the whimpers and moans she was making every time he found a particularly sensitive spot only served to spur him on.

"Harry, please," she cried as she came down from the high he had sent on. "I need you, now, please!"

He knew he couldn't deny her, when he knew he, himself, couldn't wait any longer. He crawled up her body and positioned himself carefully between her legs. He looked down at her face and was awed by the love and trust he saw shining in her eyes. He just hoped he didn't spoil it, because, in all honesty, he didn't think he would last that long with the way he was feeling in the moment.

"I love you," he whispered as he slowly entered her for the first time.

"I love you, too," she gasped out in pleasure.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny quietly let herself into the sixth-year boys' dormitory and closed the door behind her. She crept over to the only occupied bed to find her boyfriend just lying there, staring up at the canopy. Her heart broke at the sight of his distraught face. She knew there were no words of comfort to offer him. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to say to him. All she did know was that, with the death of the headmaster, it was now left to Harry to finish what Professor Dumbledore had begun in regards to finally bringing down Voldemort. Therefore, she did the only she could think in that moment, climb into bed and lay down next to him, with her head on his chest. Harry's arms automatically came up and around her, pulling her tightly against him.

Harry was grateful for the lack of words from Ginny as she curled up next to him. The lump that had formed in his throat let him know that if he tried to speak the tears would come and he didn't want to cry, he didn't want to feel vulnerable like he had with the loss of Sirius. His mind was all in jumble and it was too hard to try and straighten it all out right now. He just wanted to forget about everything that had happened and about what was still to come.

"Talk to me about our future, Gin," he whispered into the silence as he fought back the tears that were threatening to spill. "Tell me about our house again, our children, about all the plans we have made together."

"Our house is going to be in the country, somewhere it is isolated and peaceful," Ginny began telling him as she understood his need to forget. "There will be plenty of land so we can build a mini Quidditch pitch, where we can hold games with the rest of the family. The house, itself, will be full of big, open rooms with light flooding in from the windows."

Harry listened quietly to Ginny as she talked about all the dreams and plans they had made for their future together. The more she talked, the more it began to sink in that he might not have the chance to live this future, that he might not survive the war. He was still unclear as to what the prophecy truly meant. He just knew, though, that it had to be him and there was a strong possibility that he might die. However, he didn't want that to happen, at least, not without Ginny truly knowing how much she meant to him.

"I love you, Gin," he suddenly said, interrupting his girlfriend. "I love you, so much, that I know in my heart that you are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don't to be with anyone else. You are the only one who truly understands me, who can see through the mask I wear when I don't want anyone knowing how I am truly feeling. I am just so damn scared, though, that I am not going to survive this war and that I won't get to experience everything I want to with you."

Ginny lifted her head from his chest so she could look at his face and into his eyes. It hurt her to see them fill with so much pain and fear, but, for once, she didn't know how to ease it.

"Oh, I love you, too, Harry," she quietly replied, shocked by his words, but, also, knowing her reply needed to be anything, but, forceful. "I have so much faith in you and I truly believe you can beat him. I can't face the idea of you not surviving this war; I need you to survive this for me. I don't think I would be able to go on with my life if you didn't."

"Marry me," Harry said, catching Ginny completely by surprise.

"What?"

"When this is all over," he explained, hoping he wasn't scaring her, "and if I survive, I want to marry you."

The sincerity in his words and in his eyes overwhelmed her. She knew this was not coming out of nowhere or because he was scared, distraught and grieving. He was honest in the words he had chosen, she knew he was, because they had discussed this many times over the last couple of months, as part of their dreams and hopes for the future.

"Yes," she tearfully whispered. "Yes, I'll marry you. The day after I turn seventeen, no matter what is happening in our lives, we'll get married."

"Let me make love to you again," he pleaded as he hugged her tightly to himself.

Ginny knew she couldn't say no to him, not if it meant it would bring him some sort of comfort in his time of need.

 **HP &GW**

The students of Gryffindor House slowly and quietly made their way down the staircases, towards the Entrance Hall, so, they could head out into the grounds for Professor Dumbledore's funeral. The nearer they came to the main doors, the more Harry realised he could no longer put off telling Ginny the idea he'd had. Grabbing her hand in his, he pulled his girlfriend into the first available alcove he could find, indicating to Ginny to remain quiet until everyone else had passed them.

Checking the corridor to see if it was clear of students and teachers, Harry breathed a sigh of relief to see it empty before he turned to look at Ginny.

"Why did you drag me in here, Harry?" she asked, confused to his motives.

"I need to ask you for a favour," Harry stated. "There's something I want us to do, but I'm not sure you're going to be happy with the idea I've had."

Ginny had a feeling it was going to be what she had been dreading since Dumbledore's death. Even with his marriage proposal, she was still convinced he would go through with it if he was given the chance. Taking a deep breath, she replied calmly, "Just tell me what it is and we can quickly figure it out together."

"Before you came up to see me the morning after… you know," Harry explained. Ginny nodded her understanding to what day he was talking about. "I was planning on breaking up with you to keep you safe, to protect you. Now, though, I obviously don't want to do that."

"Well, it would be a bit hard to do so when you've asked me to marry you," she said with a nervous chuckle.

"That's why I want us to pretend that we have, instead," Harry immediately responded.

"But…"

"Yes, I know Malfoy and Snape know about us and may have already told him," he said, overriding Ginny. "However, I want, no, I need to minimize the risk of him potentially using you against me."

Ginny thought about what Harry had said and she knew that this would have been happening for real had Harry not proposed. She considered herself lucky that they were only going to be pretend to break up, mainly for the sake of throwing off the Death Eaters from coming after her.

"Okay," she eventually agreed. "However, if it this going to work and be believable, then, it must happen immediately after the funeral, when people are still around and we cannot spend time together on the train. Everyone must believe we have broken up, even Ron and Hermione."

Harry let out the breath he knew he had been holding in anticipation of her answer, grateful she had set the rules for how this would work. "Agreed."

He pulled her into his arms and softly kissed her. "We'd better go before people begin to wonder where we are."

Ginny nodded, reluctant to leave the comfort of his arms. "I know. Just remember that I love you."

Taking her hand and leading her away from the alcove, he said, "I love you, too."

 **HP &GW**

Ginny knew it was now or never. She knew, with everyone out of the house collecting Harry from Privet Drive, it was the perfect time to speak to her mum. The only reason she had been stalling was because she feared what her mum's reaction would be to what she had to tell her. Steeling herself for what she was convinced would end with an inevitable lecture, she made her way into the kitchen to find her mum cleaning up from dinner.

"Mum?" she said cautiously.

"Yes, Ginny, dear?" Molly replied distractedly.

"I need to talk to you, Mum, and I don't think you will respond well to what it is I need to tell you. I need you to promise not to explode in anger when I say what it is and, instead, just be a sympathetic and understanding ear for me to talk to," Ginny explained, rambling nervously.

Molly slowly turned around, a thoughtful expression on her face; it wasn't often that Ginny was so serious. Based on the way Ginny spoke, Molly's gut feeling told her this would not be good, at least, not in the current circumstances.

"I'm pregnant, Mum," Ginny blurted out before Molly could even respond. "At least, I think I am."

Molly stared at her daughter for a moment. She watched as mixed emotions flitted over Ginny's face, fear, worry, happiness and love. She quickly came to a decision she hoped she would not come to regret. Taking a deep breath, she indicated to Ginny to take a seat.

"Lift up your top, sweetheart," Molly requested as she took hold of her wand. Ginny did as she was asked and watched as her mum waved her wand over her abdomen, causing coloured lights to appear in front of it.

Molly smiled sadly at her daughter as she confirmed what Ginny had suspected. "You're definitely pregnant, Ginny."

Ginny dropped her head in shame, fearing she had disappointed her mum through one careless mistake. She was also worried how Harry would take the news after they had faked their break up for her safety. Neither her mum nor Harry would be happy about her pregnancy. She was, therefore, shocked when she felt herself wrapped in the warm and comforting arms of her mum.

"It's okay, sweetheart," her mum cooed as tears ran down Ginny's face. "It is definitely not the best timing to be pregnant, and yes, you are too young for this sort of responsibility, but, for Harry, this might be just what he needs to keep his hopes up in the coming months."

Ginny was grateful she had confided in her mum about her relationship with Harry as, in her heart and in her mind, she could not help, but, agree with what her mum has just said.

 **HP &GW**

Hearing the movement of feet just outside her bedroom, Ginny stuck her head out of her door and saw Harry as she had hoped to, along with Ron and Hermione.

"Harry? Can you come in here for a minute?" she quickly asked, ignoring the stare she was getting from her brother.

Harry gently smiled at her. "Yeah, sure I can."

He followed her into her bedroom, throwing up a few privacy charms at her request once she had shut the door. He sat down on her bed, his back against the headboard, fully expecting her to come and sit with him, except she did not. He could only watch, instead, as she paced the floor nervously, much to his confusion.

"Gin, what is the matter?" he finally asked when she did not stop pacing after a few minutes.

"I'm pregnant," she quickly said, turning to final face her fiancée.

Harry's jaw dropped in shock. This was the last thing he had been expecting her to say to him and it had come at the absolute worst time. They had faked their break-up to keep her safe, but now she would be in even greater danger if anyone was to find out she was pregnant with his child. Then, it dawned on him that she was pregnant with his child. HIS CHILD!

"Harry?" Ginny's voice broke through his scattered thoughts, causing him to look up and see how terrified she was of his reaction.

Harry reached out for her hand, pulling her to him so she stood just in front of him, making his face level with her abdomen. Knowing words would not be able to convey his feelings about her pregnancy, he chose, instead, to press soft kisses to her stomach before finally resting his head there, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"You're not angry?" she whispered tearfully as she ran one hand through his messy, dark locks.

"I know I should be," he confessed to her as he looked up at her. "It takes two, though, to make a baby and we both forgot the charm that morning. Neither of us were in any sort of state to even remember."

Ginny dropped down onto her knees in front of Harry, allowing him to reach out and gently brush away her tears. Then he gently kissed her before moving back onto the bed to his original position, so Ginny could sit in between his legs.

"I already had something to live for in you, but now you have just given me something even more to live for," he whispered into Ginny's hair as he slowly caressed her stomach with his hand. "If something happens to me, though, if I don't make it through this war, you'll always have a piece of me, no matter what."

"Just promise us that you'll do everything you can to survive and come back to us," she pleaded with him, desperate for their baby to have both parents raising them.

Harry smiled into her neck at her use of the word, 'us'. "I will do everything I can, but you have to promise to remain as safe as you can and protect our baby."

"I promise, Harry."

They sat in a content silence for a while as Harry continued to caress Ginny's stomach until she decided to turn around so she was facing Harry.

"Happy Birthday, Harry," she whispered.

"Thank you for the best present I've ever been given," he whispered in response before capturing her lips in a kiss that made the outside world melt away, even if it was just for a few short minutes.

 **HP &GW**

Harry picked himself up from the floor and felt for the lump on the back of his head from where he had been slammed into the wall, thanks to Remus' curse.

"Harry, how could you do that to Remus?" Hermione demanded.

"Quite easily," Harry snapped, thinking about how he'd had no choice but to leave Ginny behind. He knew he would give anything to be with her right now, but unfortunately, both he and Ginny knew he had to put his mission first if they wanted to be together.

"You should never had said all that to Remus," Ron protested in defence of their former professor. "You know full well he could have helped us!"

"Why not?" Harry snapped once again. "He had to be told. He had to understand. Parents should never have to leave their children, ever, unless they have no choice but to."

Harry turned away from his best friends as he tried to reign in his anger. However, as he did so, his worries about Ginny began to seep back in. He realised he had no idea what plans were in place to keep her safe throughout her pregnancy. While they had discussed their concerns over what this pregnancy would mean for her safety, they had neglected to discuss what she was going to do, whether she would return to school or immediately go into hiding. He could only hope her parents, the only other people who currently knew, would protect her and the baby the best that they could.

"Why does it bother you so much, Harry?" Hermione softly asked him.

Harry snorted at her question, wondering why she would ask question she already knew the part of the answer to. Carefully schooling his face to mask his own worries about the love of his life, he turned back to his friends and answered her.

"Why? Because my parents, Sirius and Dumbledore all left me. They all died, protecting me!"

Before either Ron or Hermione could attempt to respond, Harry fled to his bedroom to hide away from his friends as his concerns for Ginny flooded through him.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny slipped into a seat at the kitchen table, wishing she could go back to bed to sleep. She felt exhausted and nauseous. Even though, she was still in her first trimester, it was already beginning to take its toll on her. She knew her worries about Harry were not helping.

Molly looked at her daughter and took in her appearance as she placed a cup of tea and a plate of lightly buttered toast in front of her. While neither she nor Arthur were happy that their youngest child and only daughter was pregnant at such a young age, both had accepted the reality of the situation and understood her need to go through with the pregnancy. They just wished that she was not so determined to return to school in the current climate.

"Are you sure about your decision to return to school, Ginny?" she asked her daughter, needing to know she was completely certain that she was ready for whatever could happen at Hogwarts.

Ginny looked up at her mum in disbelief that she was choosing to question her decision on the morning she was due to leave for Hogwarts.

"Mum, you, me and Dad have already agreed on this," she sighed in exasperation. "We need to keep up appearances if possible. Dad needs to continue to go to work and I need to return to school. Not just for my safety, but for Ron's, too. Let's just stick to the plan we have made."

The plan they had decided upon was for Ginny to return to school and attend until Christmas. The morning she would be due to return for the new term, following the holidays, the family would, then, go into hiding. With the attendance now being compulsory for all school-aged children and the Ministry buying their cover story for Ron, it was the best plan they could come up with, without raising suspicions. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had been notified of Ginny's pregnancy and they had, in turn, warned them of the new regime being enforced at Hogwarts, while promising to look after Ginny to the best of their abilities.

"I'm just worried for your safety, Ginny," Molly responded. "I am worried what will happen if they discover your pregnancy before we can get you away from there and into hiding. Harry would never forgive us if something happened to you and the baby. It would break him completely. He was so excited by the news, Ginny, it was like there was a renewed hope in his eyes."

Ginny deflated at the mention of Harry. It was a low blow, but she knew her mum was right. However, it would still look suspicious if the entire family just suddenly disappeared. She lifted her chin in defiance and stared at her mum.

"I am going to school," Ginny stated firmly, making clear there was no room for argument. "I will keep my head down. If the need arises, though, I will leave earlier than planned, but not a moment before."

Molly sighed in defeat. As much as she hated at times, she was proud that she had managed to raise such a strong and independent daughter. "Okay, then. Now, you better get yourself ready to go as we need to leave soon."

 **HP &GW**

Ginny stared out of the window, watching as the city gave way to the countryside. She had been joined by Neville and Luna just minutes into the journey and, despite their hellos, they had sat in an uneasy silence ever since. She did not know what to say to either of them when the world felt like it was falling apart around her.

"This is ridiculous," Neville growled suddenly. "We're about to head into who knows what at school and we need to be prepared for whatever they throw at us, rather than sitting her quietly, pretending like everything is fine."

"What are you saying, Neville?" Luna calmly asked.

"We need to reform the D.A.," he declared with an unexpected confidence.

Ginny looked away from her friends as she felt guilt begin to well up inside of her, knowing she would not be able to help them in the way she was itching to do so and would have done if it had not been for her current predicament. She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes as it dawned on her that either way she would be letting some down. Helping the D.A. would mean upsetting Harry as she risked her own safety and that of their unborn child, but not helping would mean disappointing her friends.

"Ginny?" Neville called, interrupting her thoughts. "Are you with us?"

She swiped away the tears that had managed to leak from her eyes before turning back to her best friends.

"I can't help you," she whispered miserably. "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" Neville asked gently, sensing there was something bothering her. "It's not like you to back down from a fight, from standing up for what is right."

The tears she had fought from falling, fell with abundance, causing her two best friends to move to her side and wrap her in their arms in comfort.

"Harry and I are still together," she confessed quietly. "We're engaged, actually. Our break up was faked for my safety."

"There's more to it than that, isn't there, Ginny?" Luna easily observed.

"I'm… I'm pregnant," she managed to whisper through her tears.

Neville and Luna exchanged a look of shock before tightening their grip on their friend.

"We'll protect you as best as we can," Neville declared. "We'll make sure you and your baby remain safe. Harry would want us to help."

"Plus, you can always work from behind the scenes," Luna suggested. "You can still help that way and you will remain safe in the process."

Ginny's tears lessened considerably at Luna's words. She could still help without anyone's knowledge. She could still play her part, just from a safer distance with her friends protecting her and her secret.

"Okay, I can do that," she finally said with a renewed strength, leading to a train ride full of planning and speculation.

 **HP &GW**

Severus Snape pulled himself out of the youngest Weasley's mind, truly shocked by what he had seen, though he kept his reaction hidden from the three students who currently stood before him.

"You will all serve detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest," he informed the trio. "Longbottom, Miss Lovegood, you are excused and may return to your common rooms. I would like a word with Miss Weasley. I shall notify you as to when your detention shall take place."

Neville and Luna glanced nervously at Ginny before leaving the Headmaster's Office as asked. Ginny had tried to smile at them as they left, but she was sure it came out as a grimace instead. She quickly turned her gaze back to the professor, keeping her head held up bravely, even though, it was not what she was feeling underneath.

"Do you realise how foolish it was of you to make such an attempt tonight?" Professor Snape questioned her the moment the door had closed on Neville and Luna. "Or even for you to return to school in this climate?"

Ginny's jaw dropped in shock, despite knowing he had seen enough in her mind to know she was still in a relationship with Harry and that she was also pregnant with his child. How was she supposed to answer him? Even then, why was he so concerned by the turn of events?

Her confusion grew further as she watched the current headmaster turn to the portrait of Professor Dumbledore, the very man he had murdered, who gave him a subtle nod as if he was agreeing to some unsaid words.

"Sit, Miss Weasley," Professor Snape commanded. Ginny did as she was asked as Snape sat down opposite her. "To send you home now would raise suspicion. I take it you returned to school for that very reason?"

Ginny nodded, not really understanding where this conversation was heading or why she had even confirmed his thoughts. Then, to her shock, Professor Snape's face seemed to soften slightly.

"I shall not be informing the Dark Lord of this information," he calmly told her. "He is currently unaware of your relationship with Mr Potter and I have no intention of making him aware."

"Why?" Ginny couldn't help, but, blurt out.

"If I am to tell you the answer to that, you must agree to me to placing a spell on you that would stop you from speaking about this to anyone until you are released from it," he told her. "Only I, or my death, can release you from this spell."

Ginny looked to Dumbledore's portrait for unspoken advice. The twinkle that he always had present in his eyes was even visible in his portrait. He smiled gently at her, recognising her silent plea for advice and gave her a nod in confirmation.

"I agree to your terms, sir," she quietly told the current headmaster, who immediately cast the spell in question.

"Anything I tell you from this point forward, and until you leave this office, you shall not be able to speak of," he confirmed to her. "As to why I shall not be informing the Dark Lord of your relationship with Mr Potter, I am still a spy for the Order, unbeknownst to any of the current living members. I was asked to kill Dumbledore by the headmaster himself so I could gain the full confidence of the Dark Lord. This has allowed me to take up this position without suspicion, allowing me to protect the students to the best of my abilities. However, I can only do so much without my loyalties being questioned."

Ginny knew what he was telling her could only be the truth, even if she didn't understand how she just knew. She could assume it was a part of the spell Snape had cast on her.

"Why tell me, of all people, of the truth?" she asked, feeling thoroughly confused.

"Because, it is imperative that you, of all people, Miss Weasley, survive this war for Mr Potter's sake," Snape explained. "I wish I could give you more information than this, but even with the charm protecting you from revealing what I have told you, it can still be broken if someone was to use Legilimency on you and certain information must not be revealed until the time is right."

"I understand, sir."

"Therefore, I must ask, if you have not already planned to do so, that you do not return to school following the Christmas holidays," he politely asked her.

"That was, and is, our family's plan, sir," Ginny told him in confidence, knowing he would not reveal this to anyone, not even the Dark Lord. "Though, if needs be, I will leave earlier if my secret is at risk of being revealed."

Snape nodded in agreement with her plan. "I shall notify you, then, if anything should change and affect your safety. Until then, you are dismissed."

Ginny quickly left the Headmaster's office, shocked at what she had just learned, but understanding she was being protected for Harry's sake. Therefore, she knew it was imperative that she kept her head down and did not draw attention to herself until she was back in the safety of own home.

 **HP &GW**

"There was more to that argument, wasn't there?" Hermione asked as she finally spoke to Harry for the first time since Ron had left the tent and not returned. "It seemed like you wanted to say something else to him, but for some reason, you held back."

Harry looked at his best friend, unable to mask the answer he knew was written all over his face.

"It's to do with Ginny, isn't it?" Hermione softly asked as she sat down next to Harry outside the tent, where he had been keeping watch. "Are you two, are you…"

"Yes," Harry painfully whispered as a lump grew inside his throat. "We're still together. We never broke up like everyone thinks we did. The public break up, at the funeral, was faked."

"Why, Harry? Why would you fake it?" Hermione asked, holding back the need to scold her best friend for what she though was a reckless decision. "Isn't it too much of a risk for you to stay together?"

"I asked her to marry me," Harry whispered feebly. "The morning after…"

Hermione's eyes widened at the confession Harry had made, wondering if he had asked Ginny out of desperation due to his grief for the loss of their headmaster or if he had truly meant it. She immediately scolded herself internally for even thinking it was for any other reason than truly wanting to marry Ginny. She had seen how in love the pair were with one another and just how right they were for each other. Looking at her best friend, she saw the pain and the worry in his facial expression and realised that there seemed to be more that he was hiding from her and Ron.

"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" Hermione prodded gently.

"She's pregnant, Hermione," Harry said so quietly that his best friend very nearly missed him saying it.

"Oh, Harry," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him in comfort. She didn't know how to respond, but she knew, now, that his concerns for Ginny had been justified when he had gone into a panic over hearing she had attempted to steal the Sword of Gryffindor for them. "We will finish this and you will survive this war. For Ginny, for your unborn child, we will figure it all out, Harry, and finish it once and for all."

 **HP &GW**

Ginny smiled softly to herself as she relaxed on the sofa in the sitting room of The Burrow, gently caressing her swollen stomach. She had managed to make it to the end of the term without drawing further attention to herself, therefore avoiding some of the nastier punishments that the Carrows had been inflicting on the students. She felt relieved to finally be home and away from the school, though she was worried for Luna, who had been taken from the train by Death Eaters. She knew there was a possibility they would come for her next, but luckily, she only had to keep up appearances for a further few days before they went into hiding for her and the baby's safety.

"James," she said with a giggle as she felt him kick her stomach.

"Nice choice of name," a voice came from the doorway.

Ginny looked up to see her eldest brother standing in the doorway to the sitting room, smiling at her in amusement.

"Hey, Bill," she responded as she shifted her position so she could stand up to greet him properly.

"So, you're having a boy?" Bill asked as he helped her to stand.

"Obviously," Ginny replied sarcastically. "What are you doing here?" I didn't think we were seeing you until Christmas Day."

"I need a favour that involves you popping over to Shell Cottage for a few minutes," he stated with a worried look upon his face.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Ginny asked, alarmed at the look on her brother's face.

Bill rubbed his eyes before responding. "You could say that. Look. I told Mum I was going to take you over to Shell Cottage for the afternoon to help Fleur sort out your bedroom in preparation for when you move in."

"What's the real reason you need me to come over, then?"

Bill sighed, wishing he did not have to involve his sister. "Ron turned up and he was by himself."

Ginny felt her temper begin to flare up. If her idiotic brother had left Harry and Hermione by themselves to finish whatever it was they were doing, then she had a few choice words for him that she knew would make him regret ever leaving them.

 **HP &GW**

Ron pulled Harry back to outside of the tent, leaving Hermione to go to bed and calm down following his sudden reappearance. Making sure to keep within the wards that had been set to keep them hidden, he turned to face Harry.

"I know about Ginny and the baby," Ron plainly stated, much to Harry's shock.

Harry was not entirely sure how to react to Ron knowing this piece of news. Was his best mate going to give him a lecture, punch him, or worse, try and kill him?

"I'm not angry with you, Harry," Ron continued. "Trust me, there's no way Ginny would remain angry after the words she used to describe me for abandoning you."

Harry laughed, something he had not done in months. He could just imagine his Ginny standing up to Ron, defending their decision to stay together and for her to carry his child. It made his heart swell with love for her, knowing she had refused to allow Ron to come back thinking badly of them and their decisions.

"How is she?" Harry said, sobering quickly, needing to know that the love of his life was safe from any potential harm.

Ron broke out into a smile. "She is doing good, really well. She has a huge bump now and the baby has been constantly kicking. She even let me have a feel, once she had calmed down. She even knows the sex of the baby."

Harry glared at his best mate when he said nothing in regards to whether the baby was a boy or a girl.

"She even asked me to be godfather," Ron continued like he had not even said anything that Harry wanted further answers to. "She said you know just who to ask to be godmother to James."

"James?" Harry quietly asked in disbelief. "I'm having a boy? A son?"

Ron grinned widely. "Yeah, you are. Ginny said she couldn't choose anything other than James for his name. She said she wanted to honour your father."

"James Sirius," Harry said absently, knowing Ginny would agree with him in regards to his choice of the middle name.

He was going to be a father to a little baby boy, he couldn't believe it. He knew, now, that no matter what happened to him, the Potter name would continue. Not that he planned to die; no, he wanted to survive more than anything now. He wanted to survive so he could marry Ginny and watch their son grow up in a peaceful world. Yes, he was going to end this and have the life he desperately wanted to have with Ginny and their son, James.

 **HP &GW**

"It is as we expected, Dad," Bill said as he entered the kitchen, having just Apparated to The Burrow from Shell Cottage. "They have a couple of people watching the house."

It was the morning that Ginny was supposed to be returning to Hogwarts, following the Christmas holidays. The past few days had been spent moving the most necessary of items over to either Shell Cottage or Aunt Muriel's house. The plan meant that they needed to look like they were going to be Apparating to Kings Cross Station rather than them going into hiding. The only things they now had left to take were Ginny's trunk and a few essentials that they planned to shrink and place in their pockets. Hopefully, those watching would be none the wiser until they were all safely at Shell Cottage and it was too late for them to be found by the Ministry.

"Well, that was to be expected," Arthur said in reply to his son's statement. "We will just have to leave like we would do if we were going to the station as normal. They cannot trace us if we are Apparating. Just be sure to check us for tracking charms before we cross the wards into Shell Cottage, Bill."

"Of course," Bill replied as he took in the near empty kitchen that his mum was still bustling around trying to make sure was clean and organised. "Are you all ready to go?"

"My trunk is in the sitting room," Ginny said to her brother as she stood up from her chair with a slight struggle.

Bill took the hint and headed into the sitting room to retrieve it for her. When he had returned to the kitchen, his parents and sister were ready to leave.

"Okay, when we get outside of the wards, Apparate straight to Shell Cottage," Bill commanded without argument from his parents or sister. "I'll take Ginny's trunk. Dad, you take Ginny by Side-Along. The quicker we Apparate out, the less chance there is of any spells being thrown our way hitting us, if that is their plan. However, I think they will just follow us to Kings Cross, believing that is where we are heading."

Everyone nodded in agreement before exiting the house, which Arthur discreetly locked up. The family, then, quickly headed out towards the wards. The moment they had crossed the wards themselves, Ginny grabbed her dad's arm and the family immediately Disapparated, not knowing when they would return to The Burrow.

 **HP &GW**

A loud crack was heard throughout Shell Cottage, causing its occupants to stand up in alert.

"Ginny, stay where you are," Bill ordered. "If I call for you to do so, take the Floo to Aunt Muriel's."

Knowing she would not be much use as she was now fast approaching her due date, she sat back down on the sofa and waited patiently to find out what was going on as Bill and Fleur went to check out what the loud crack was. She only had to wait a few minutes before Fleur returned with other people with her.

"Luna? Dean?" Ginny asked in shock at seeing her friends. "What are you doing here? What is going on?"

"Dobby rescued us from Malfoy Manor," Luna responded as if it was already obvious.

"Malfoy Manor?" Ginny asked, still in shock at seeing her friends.

"That was where the Death Eaters took me when they removed me from the train at Christmas," Luna told her as she sat down next to her and placed a hand on Ginny's bump. "You must be close to delivering this little bundle very soon. It's a good thing that Harry will be here very shortly."

"Harry?" Ginny couldn't seem to process what was going on. Two of her school friends had appeared suddenly at her brother's house and, if they were to be believed, Harry was going to be joining them.

"I was caught by Snatchers, not long before Harry, Hermione and Ron were," Dean explained, seemingly getting over the shock of seeing the girl he'd long had a crush on and heavily pregnant to boot. "They managed to call for rescue somehow, while we were locked in a cell, and Harry asked Dobby to bring me, Luna and Mr Ollivander ahead to the house."

Before Ginny could respond with further questions, more people filed into the sitting room of the small cottage. Luna and Dean moved out of the way, allowing Ron to bring Hermione in and settle her onto the sofa next to Ginny.

"What happened?" Ginny as she took in the state of Hermione, who appeared to be nearly unconscious. She reached out and clasped one of the older girl's hands, causing Hermione's eyes to flutter open.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered with a strain in her voice. "Oh, Harry will be so happy to see you here, safe."

Ginny looked to her brother for answers as Hermione's eyes drifted shut once more, no longer able to remain conscious.

"Bellatrix tortured her," Ron bluntly told his sister, his anger clearly shining in his eyes. "Dobby managed to get us all out in time before they could do her further damage."

Ginny gasped as she looked back to Hermione and fully took in her appearance. The older witch was dishevelled, thinner than normal and was bleeding. Ginny dreaded to think what state Harry would be in if this was how Hermione looked after months on the run. She could only hope that he would not be too closed off emotionally.

 **HP &GW**

Harry finally made his way into the cottage, dirty and exhausted from digging the grave for the small house-elf that had died in his arms. He followed the sound of voices once he was inside and found Bill, Fleur, Dean, Luna, Ron, Hermione and the last person he had expected to see sitting in the sitting room.

"Ginny," Harry breathed out in amazement.

Ginny looked up from her spot on the sofa to see her fiancée standing in the doorway, dishevelled, dirty and looking at her in awe. She desperately wanted to get up and run to him, but being heavily pregnant prevented her from doing so. Harry, luckily, seem to recognise her predicament and immediately crossed the room, dropping to his knees in front of her when he reached her, allowing her to wrap her arms around his shoulders as he laid his head against her swollen stomach.

Harry began to pepper soft kisses over her bump, still amazed by the fact that the love of his life was carrying his child. He was unaware, as he did so, that the other occupants of the room had moved into the kitchen to give the young couple privacy.

He eventually moved back and took in the appearance of his fiancée. For him, she really was a sight for sore eyes, especially after the events that took place at Malfoy Manor and the loss of Dobby. She looked even more beautiful than he had remembered; her pregnancy made her look radiant, glowing even. He just couldn't get over the fact that she was carrying his child, that he was going to become a father, despite having known this since the end of July. Seeing her here, now, pregnant as far as along as she was, seemed to make it so much more real for him.

"I love you, James," he whispered to her bump, causing a couple of tears to run down Ginny's cheeks. "I love you, too, Ginny."

 **HP &GW**

A pain shot through her stomach, causing Ginny to wake suddenly, clutching a hand to her bump. The pain continued for a few more seconds as she took a couple of deep breaths to work through it. Once it was finally over, she realised that she was laying in a wet patch and she knew it meant that her waters had broken and the pain, therefore, was a contraction. She reached over and shook Harry awake.

"What is it, Gin?" Harry mumbled sleepily.

"My waters have broken, Harry," she told him in a panic. "I am going into labour. James is coming."

Harry instantly awoke, sitting up in the bed that had been expanded by magic to accommodate them both while he stayed at the cottage. The trio had only been there for a few days, but they were currently unsure how long they would be as they planned their break in of Gringotts. Harry, despite the pressure he heavily felt to finish this war as soon as he could, was happy to know he would be present when the time came for Ginny to give birth.

"Get yourself changed into something clean and dry," Harry told his fiancée. "I will go and wake Fleur."

Just a few minutes later, Ginny was sat in clean nightwear and a dry bed, breathing through another contraction as Harry held her hand in support and Fleur kept an eye on the length on the current contraction.

"It's probably going to be a few hours, Ginny," Fleur told her sister-in-law, once the pain had eased. "I shall have Bill go and collect your mother."

Fleur left the bedroom, leaving the young couple by themselves for the moment. Ginny immediately leaned into Harry as he slowly and soothingly rubbed her back to help her relax.

"I can't believe we are going to meeting our son really soon," Ginny softly said as she felt Harry drop a kiss on her head.

"Did I mention the idea I have for a middle name for James?" Harry asked as he tried to remember if he had told her. The last few days had been a bit of a blur for him between making plans with Ron and Hermione, speaking with Griphook and finally informing Ginny about what it was he was doing as he had promised her several times over the course of their relationship.

"No, I don't think you did," Ginny responded, shaking her head. "I was hoping you had an idea for it, though."

"Sirius," Harry stated. "His full name should be James Sirius Potter."

"That's the perfect name, Harry," Ginny said just before she clutched her stomach once again as another contraction began to build.

 **HP &GW**

"One final push, Ginny, dear," Molly told her daughter as another contraction began. "Then, you can meet your son."

Ginny bore down with all the strength she had and pushed, despite how tired she felt from having been in labour since the early hours of the morning. She sagged in relief as cries suddenly filled the air as James Sirius Potter was finally born in the afternoon of a warm day in early April.

"Congratulations, Ginny, Harry," Molly said as she carefully placed James into her daughter's arms, with Harry coming to sit next to her.

The young couple looked down at their son to discover he had inherited Harry's black hair and, even though there was, currently, only just a tuft of it, Ginny knew it would be as messy as Harry's was. Baby James yawned as he, then, opened his eyes.

"I think he is going to have your eyes," Harry softly said in awe of the baby who he couldn't believe was his son. "They're the same shape as yours."

"I think he is a good mixture of both of us," Ginny replied as she smiled at their son.

Molly watched as her daughter and future son-in-law fussed over their new-born son. As much as she hated how young they were, she couldn't deny the happiness that shone in their eyes, especially Harry's, as they watched their baby open his eyes. She hoped with all her heart that Harry would make it through this war, because she knew that he was the one person who truly deserved a life full of love and happiness. She didn't want this moment, right here, right now, to be a fleeting moment for the pair of them, but instead, one of many more to come.

"Harry, dear," Molly said, hating to break up the happy moment for the new family. "Why don't we get James cleaned up and dressed? You can then take him downstairs to introduce him to everyone while we get Ginny cleaned up."

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea," Harry said as he carefully took his baby son from Ginny and with Molly's help, cleaned and dressed him. "We won't be long, okay?"

"I know you won't," Ginny replied as she felt Harry kiss her forehead. She watched as Harry cradled their precious cargo close to his chest and left the room. She hoped that the moment they had just shared together as a family gave him an even bigger reason to survive than before and to finish the war sooner, rather than later.

"He is going to survive this, sweetheart," Molly said, as though she had read Ginny's thoughts. "He has even more reason to do so now. You have given him something he has always wanted and he will not let the chance to raise that boy with you be taken away from him. You can see the happiness and love he has for you and James shining so brightly in his eyes. I don't think he has ever been that happy before."

 **HP &GW**

Remus approached Harry with a smile on his face and pulled him into a hug as though their argument had never happened.

"I hear, and see, that I need to congratulate you as well," Remus said as he spotted Ginny cradling James, just behind Harry. "I understand, now, just why you were so angry with me. Your parents were forced to leave you and you were forced to leave Ginny. I can't fault you for refusing my help and sending me back to Dora. It is what your father would have done. Dora and I both agreed, however, that we want you and Ginny to be Teddy's godparents."

Harry was speechless. He had become a father and, now a godfather in the space of a few days. He, now, had three amazing reasons to finish the war: Ginny, James and Teddy.

"We'd be honoured, Remus," he finally replied, grabbing his father's friend in a fierce hug as thanks. Noticing Ginny had approached them, he pulled away to introduce Remus to his son. "Meet my son, James Sirius Potter."

Ginny carefully placed the new-born into the arms of the shocked werewolf.

"You named him after your father and godfather," Remus said, stunned at the choice of names.

"We couldn't think of two better men to honour," Ginny explained with a smile as she watched her former professor cradle her child.

"Just a shame that James appears to have inherited his father's and grandfather's messy hair," Remus responded with a chuckle.

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with my hair!" Harry protested. "What about Teddy?"

"He is just like his mother," Remus proudly told the room. "He had black hair, just like little James, when he was born. Pretty certain it was going ginger in the hour afterwards and I suspect it will be blonde by the time I have arrived home."

Remus carefully passed James back to Ginny as drinks were passed round so they could make a toast. The room's occupants held their glasses high in preparation to toast the birth of the two babies.

"To Teddy Remus Lupin," Harry cried in delight.

"To James Sirius Potter," Remus continued. "Two great wizards in the making!"

 **HP &GW**

Harry carefully slipped out of the warm bed and quickly dressed for the day ahead. He had hardly slept, his nerves for how today would go and the fact he hated that he would be leaving Ginny and James had kept him awake for most of the night.

He looked down at his sleeping fiancée. He could still not understand why it was that she had fallen in love with him, but he felt so incredibly lucky that she had. As much as he knew she hated him leaving her again, she had been understanding of his reasons why once he had explained what it was he had been doing and what he still needed to do. She had even agreed to not enter any battles that may potentially happen, promising to put the needs of James first, knowing that if anything was to happen to Harry, their son would need his mother. That promise had shocked Harry, knowing Ginny was someone who could hold her own in battle and would answer the call to fight if she was given the chance. However, as she had told him, she did not want to risk James becoming an orphan at such a young age as Harry had. Harry's heart had been so full of love for her when she had said that, that he had kissed her fiercely, pouring every ounce of love he had for her into it.

Harry crept quietly over to the crib where his son slept and carefully picked up James. He cradled the baby close to his chest, enjoying this last moment with his son before he left to continue and hopefully finish his mission. These past few weeks with Ginny and James had been more wonderful than he could even describe. Even with his planning for the Gringotts break-in taking up much of his time, having Ginny and James there at night and in any spare minute he had free had given him the experience of being a family he had long dreamed of and that he so desperately wanted to continue past the end of the war.

"Be a good boy for your mummy," Harry whispered softly to his sleeping son. "If anything happens to me, just know that I love you very much. You and your mum are the best things that have ever happened to me."

Harry kissed James on his cheek and then carefully laid him back in his crib. He watched his son for a few more moments before grabbing his bag and taking one last look at the love of his life as he desperately prayed that this would not be the last time he saw either of them.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny was sat breastfeeding James and enjoying the peaceful views that Shell Cottage had to offer when she heard a commotion come from inside the house and then the sudden opening of the front door.

"There you are," Bill said in relief. "I need you and James to come inside and stay there till we send word."

"What's going on?" Ginny asked as she carefully coaxed James away and tidied both herself and James up.

"A call for fighters has come from Hogwarts," Bill explained as they re-entered the house. "Harry has turned up there and You-Know-Who is on his way. It seems the time to end it has come."

Ginny quickly moved to the side as Dean and Luna shot past her in a rush for the door. She couldn't help but stare after them, feeling slightly jealous of their chance to be able to fight for their freedom. However, she quickly reined those feelings back in, remembering her promise to Harry that she would put James first, no matter what happened.

"Are both you and Fleur going to help?" she asked, not particularly wanting to be left by herself for who knows how long while her family and the love of her life fought to end the war.

"Non," Fleur answered as she came into the sitting room, having heard Ginny's query. "I shall be staying here with you. If things go wrong and end in victory for You-Know-Who, then I am to take you and James to France to my parents' house."

"Ginny, it is imperative that you and James remain safe," Bill explained with a stern voice. "I know you hate to be protected, but for Harry's sake, let us protect you. This was something Harry asked us to set up in case of the worst possible outcome of this war."

Ginny nodded numbly, uncertain how to respond to the plans being explained to her that she had no idea had been arranged for her. She knew she should feel angry for the plans being made without her input, but she felt some relief in knowing Harry and Bill had planned for any eventuality. She knew Harry would want her and James safe; otherwise, he would not have asked for Bill's help.

"Look, I have to go," Bill said, kissing Ginny, James, and, then, Fleur goodbye. "Keep my nephew safe, at all costs. Do NOT leave the house, unless we send word."

Ginny settled into a chair with James as Bill left the house and started feeding him again, having been interrupted in doing so the first-time round.

"And now we wait," she mumbled to herself as she tried to relax, not knowing how their world would be like come the morning.

 **HP &GW**

Harry threw his Invisibility Cloak back over his head and walked away from Neville to continue his journey to his inevitable death. He desperately wished he could see his beloved Ginny and James one last time, but at the same time, he was glad he was unable to do so because he knew he would only whisk them away to hide from his destiny just to have a bit more time with the two most important people in his life. He couldn't walk or run away, though, not if he was to give them the life of peace and freedom he wanted them to have, that they deserved.

Then it was like something clicked into place for him. An understanding of sort. He was about to do what his parents had done for him, albeit differently, but, still the same nonetheless. He finally understood just how much his parents had loved him, how they could willingly sacrifice their lives just so he could live. He knew, in that moment, that he would do the same for Ginny and James, no matter the circumstances. He loved them more than he could ever love anyone else. This was, he realised, the power that Dumbledore had told him that Voldemort could not and would not understand and Harry knew, therefore, that it was this power to love that was keeping him walking towards his destiny. It was the same reason why so many people had answered the call to fight and had willingly laid down their lives, just as he was about to do.

It was, then, that he remembered the Golden Snitch that his former headmaster had left to him. He pulled it out of his moleskin bag and pressed it to his lips, remembering how he had caught it in his mouth in his first ever Quidditch match.

"I am about to die," he whispered solemnly.

The Snitch cracked open, revealing what he had long suspected to be hidden inside, the Resurrection Stone. Understanding that recalling the ones he loved from the dead was a way of them helping him to his destiny, he took the stone into the palm of his hand, closing his fingers over it and, then, turned it over three times, shutting his eyes in concentration. He felt the air shift around him and he knew it had worked.

Opening his eyes, he saw four of the most important people in his life, his mother, his father, Sirius and Remus. Soon, he would join them in death and, for Harry, it was a comforting feeling knowing that, while he would leave behind those he loved more than anything else in this world, he would be joining four people who loved him just as fiercely. However, no matter how much he wanted to speak, he felt a lump in his throat that stopped him from talking, so, instead, he drank in the sight of these four people.

"You've been so brave, Harry," his mother spoke, finally breaking the silence between them.

"You are nearly there, my son," his father continued. "You are very close to the end now and we are so proud of you."

"Does it… does it hurt?" Harry couldn't help but ask, but he needed to know, even if he sound like scared child.

"No," Sirius answered. "It's quicker and easier than falling asleep."

"He will want it to be quick, Harry," Remus explained. "He wants it over with. He wants to end this quickly."

"I'm so sorry," Harry whispered, knowing they would still hear him. "I never wanted any of you to die, especially you, Remus, not so soon after having Teddy."

"I am sorry that I will never know him, just like you will never know James," Remus said compassionately. "However, they will both grow up understanding that we gave our lives so that they could live in a happier world than they were born into."

"I only hope Ginny will understand," he whispered miserably. "I don't want to leave her or James."

"She will understand better than anyone, because she would do the same if she was in your position," Sirius told him. "You will live on in them and in their hearts."

Knowing he could not delay the inevitable any longer, Harry looked to his parents, Sirius and Remus one final time.

"You'll stay with me?" he asked before he began the final walk to his death.

"Until the very end, my son," his father responded.

"Stay close to me," he pleaded with them.

"Always," his mother fiercely replied.

 **HP &GW**

Ginny hurried up the path to Hogwarts, clutching James close to her chest, despite the sling he was being carried in. She didn't take in the scene of destruction around her as she moved quickly towards the castle. Her main concern was getting to Harry as quickly as possible, needing to see that he had really survived his final confrontation with Tom Riddle. She knew others had died, including her brother, Fred, but until she saw Harry with her own eyes, she could not think of anyone or anything else.

She barely paid attention to those milling around the Entrance Hall as she finally entered the castle. She didn't acknowledge those who called out her name or the looks of shock from those seeing her carrying a baby in her arms as she headed for the main staircase, knowing that Harry had been sent to the hospital wing after he had collapsed outside the Headmaster's Office. She was unsure of what his injuries were, but her father, who had taken the time to return to Shell Cottage, had filled her in as best as he could about those who had died during the battle and how Harry had been hit with the Killing Curse and had somehow survived yet again.

She knew he was going to need her in the coming days, weeks and months. She wanted to remind him as soon as possible that he had two people to live for: her and James. She feared he would sink into a depression if she didn't get to him immediately. She needed him to be there for her as well because she wasn't sure how she was going to cope once the shock of losing Fred and their friends had worn off. There was also Teddy and Andromeda to consider, who had lost Remus and Tonks in the same night. The idea that their godson had lost his parents and was now an orphan like Harry, saddened her considerably. It was something they had gone out of their way to avoid when it came to James, but neither had thought about Teddy and, now, he was in the on situation that neither ever wanted to see any young child in.

She finally reached the doors to the hospital wing, only stopping briefly to catch her breath and settle a whimpering James. She entered and quickly spotted her brother and Hermione sitting by a bed, which she knew had to be Harry's. She moved across the room, ignoring the many other patients, and stopped in front of the bed and just stared at her fiancée. He was alive, asleep, injured but alive. She breathed a sigh of relief, finally allowing the tears she had been holding back since she heard the news to fall down her face.

She barely paid attention as she felt James being removed from his sling by her brother or as she was gently nudged forward by Hermione. She kept her eyes on Harry the entire time as she took the seat right next to his bed and grasped his hand in hers. She felt herself relax as Harry's fingers tightened around hers, allowing her body to sag back into the chair as the relief flowed over her and she finally knew for certain that Harry had truly survived the war.

 **HP &GW**

"…therefore, it is my greatest honour that I declare you bonded for life," Kingsley Shacklebolt, the Minister for Magic, announced to those in attendance.

Harry and Ginny beamed at each other as they moved in closer and shared their first kiss as husband and wife, sealing their wedding vows on the day that Ginny had originally declared they would marry on.

"Hi, Mrs Potter," Harry whispered when they broke apart.

"Hi, Mr Potter," Ginny whispered back with a giggle.

Harry took her hand in his and led her back down the aisle, only stopping to collect James from Molly. The little family headed towards the edge of the wards and Disapparated away from The Burrow, arriving near to the house where Harry's life had been dramatically changed many years earlier.

"It's a good thing we planned this little excursion," Ginny said as they walked down the lane towards the church. "I think Mum would be going spare if we had disappeared like that without knowing what we were doing."

The past three months had been hard for both Harry and Ginny as they dealt with the grief that had come in the aftermath of the war. However, having James and planning their wedding had helped not only them make it through the worst of the grief, but also the entire Weasley family. Molly had thrown herself into helping them plan the wedding and had been understanding of Harry's desire to immediately take Ginny and James to visit the graves of his parents following the ceremony, but before the start of the reception.

"Mum, Dad, I want to introduce you to Ginny, my wife, and our son, James," Harry said when they arrived at the graves he had visited for the first time just months before. "We've just come straight from the ceremony as I wanted you to be the first people to be introduced to my wife."

Ginny wrapped her arms around both Harry and James as her husband spoke on behalf of their little family.

"I honestly didn't think this would be where I would be after I lost Sirius," Harry continued, "but I am so glad that it is. Ginny and James truly are the best things to ever happen to me. Having them in my life helped me understand how you could both so willingly give your lives for me. It helped me to do the same thing that night in the forest. Thank you for being there with me. I wish we could stay longer, but, we have to get back to the reception."

Ginny stepped away from her boys and conjured a bouquet of lilies, placing them on her in-law's grave before she moved back to her original spot.

"We love you, so much," Harry whispered.

As Harry led his wife and son away from the graves, a smile grew wide on his face, knowing that the love he had found with Ginny and furthermore, in James had helped him to understand that love truly was the most powerful magic in existence.


End file.
